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France urges EU partners to take sanctions against Iran
Paris (AFP) Oct 3, 2007 French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has written to his EU partners urging them to take economic sanctions to pressure Iran to end its "nuclear defiance", his ministry said Wednesday. "In parallel to negotiations on a new (UN) Security Council resolution, which must be pursued, I propose that we start right away exploring together the possibility of new European measures," Kouchner told foreign ministers of the 27 European Union states in a letter released in Paris. "It is vital that the EU today show its determination and that it set an example once again by taking the initiative of firm new measures, to step up the pressure on Iran, so that it responds, at last, to the demands of the Security Council." Kouchner addressed a warning to European countries reluctant to press head with new sanctions: "Time is working against us, since each day Iran moves closer to mastering the technology of enrichment, which means a de facto military nuclear capacity." "These measures, coming from its main commercial partner, would have the effect of increasing the pressure on Iran, in particular in the economic and financial areas, in order to stress to Tehran the cost of pursuing its policy of nuclear defiance." He suggested adding "new entities, particularly in the banking area, and new individuals, to the existing European lists on asset freezes and visa bans," set up in line with previous UN resolutions. Kouchner announced last week in New York that France was preparing to write to its European partners to propose taking sanctions against Tehran,and that the issue would be discussed at a high-level meeting on October 15. Since the election of President Nicolas Sarkozy, France has considerably toughened its position towards Iran and called for new sanctions to oblige Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment programme. Iran on Wednesday summoned a top French diplomat to protest at remarks by Kouchner suggesting Tehran could be seeking the atomic bomb. "To step up the pressure does not mean we are giving up on dialogue, on the contrary," Kouchner said, reaffirming that France's approach was "a combination of dialogue and firmness". "If we want to avoid the international community being confronted with a disastrous alternative, between Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and a military intervention to prevent that, we must pursue with determination the path we have chosen." Europe's strategy should be "engaging of negotiations and suspending sanctions if there is a suspension of Iran's nuclear activities, increasing sanctions if Iran refuses." "We must try relentlessly to convince the Iranians that only the path of a suspension and negotiation will open the way to cooperation, stability and prosperity, instead of the isolation and sanctions they are heading towards today." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Bush ties North Korea, Iran nuclear crises
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (AFP) Oct 3, 2007US President George W. Bush on Wednesday tied his North Korea strategy to the Iran nuclear dispute, saying he might hold direct talks with Tehran if it first froze sensitive atomic work. |
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